Not one step back.

The front of my sign for Moral Monday

I've learned more about how the government actually works in the past few weeks than I learned in the previous 30 years. Although I'd say I've been a pretty good voter (all major elections and increasingly in primaries and such), I'm not the most politically active person. I've always wanted to know more and do more. But now that I live in a state whose legislature seems pretty darn determined to undo decades of moderate, progressive policies, I've been spurred into action. 

I know, I know - I came from Kansas. Shouldn't I be used to people voting against their own best interests in the name of Jesus and small government and the sainted Koch brothers? Well, yes. I do expect such things from Kansas. But now I find myself in a state hot on the heels of the Sunflower state when it comes to underhanded political actions. In fact, Art Pope - our governor's Budget Director - is often referred to here as "Art Koch" - the third Koch brother. Just what we need! More people with unfathomably deep pockets ensuring that our government can take from the poor to give to the rich. 

Ever since a slew of ultra-conservative Republicans, as well as a bumbling Republican governor whose grin reminds me of a certain former President, our legislature has been rolling back the clock on North Carolina citizens. Pushing to and often succeeding at things like repealing the social justice act, rushing fracking into the state without allowing time for studies to understand its environmental impacts, ending teacher tenure, removing caps on classroom size, ending salary increases for teachers who earn advanced degrees, ending long-term unemployment benefits, denying sea-level rise, and tacking a bill that would severely limit access to abortions onto a bill banning sharia law (yep - just let that sink in for a second...) without any warning to senators or the public. That last one really made my blood boil. It was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. 

So I decided to go to Moral Monday this week. Every Monday for the past 10 weeks, people who oppose what our state legislature is doing gather on the mall in front of our legislative building and have a peaceful demonstration. Various groups of people are there. The NAACP is the most prominent group organizing things, but there are also pocket groups of public school teachers, doctors, students, the unemployed, and this week plenty of women and men dressed in pink and purple in opposition to the current attacks on women's health. After the rally on the mall, those who have agreed to risk arrest enter the legislative building. When they refuse to leave, they are arrested for misdemeanor trespassing or disturbing the peace charges, handcuffed and put on buses waiting to transport them to jail. In the past 10 weeks, over 700 people have been arrested. This week's Moral Monday demonstration included over 2,000 people. It was both heartbreaking and inspiring to be there. 

Singing "We Are Not For Sale" by the North Carolina Music Love Army on Halifax Mall

The Peoples' House (our state legislative building) is the one on the left with the white pointy roof. There is a balcony wrapping around it and people were packed onto the balcony. The Halifax Mall is across the street from the building, and it was packed as well.

Forward together! Not one step back! 

There were many, many shouts of "Shame!" as speakers updated attendees on what our state legislature has done so far this session. 

Many Moral Monday attendees are local clergy members. Most of them volunteer to be arrested each week during the peaceful protests.

The back of my sign... Not entirely factual, because we know the NC GOP has more than 99 problems and they have more problems than just misogyny. But the song just didn't lend itself well to that. 

Oh, and after the Senate passed that whole no Sharia Law except our Christian Sharia Law (a.k.a. my religion says abortion is bad and that should be allowed to dictate what everyone does), it was sent over to the House, who at least let a few people talk about the problems the bill would create (e.g., it would close all but 1 clinic providing abortion services in the entire state). But then today the House sneakily added the abortion bill onto a bill about motorcycle safety and sent it to a judiciary subcommittee without telling THE REPRESENTATIVES ON THE FREAKING COMMITTEE, let alone the public, that they did so. And then the subcommittee voted along party lines to pass it, sending to the House at large. And tomorrow they'll vote on it. It's expected to pass. And even though our bumbling Gov said during his campaign that he would sign NO new abortion restrictions into law, he probably won't veto it. But even if he does, the numbers are there for a veto to be overridden. So even though the NC DHHS said yesterday that if the legislature was really interested in protecting women's health they would fund more than a staff of 10 people to inspect all medical facilities in the entire state and they would work with stakeholders to craft bills, and even though they've refused or severely limited public comment or even knowledge of what they're up to... they might still get to do whatever they want.

I used to say that I didn't understand how you could want "small government" and yet be okay with the government telling you who you could love. Now I say I get it. You want a government so small that it fits right inside your uterus.